Stew Mel vs Ross High, 17/11/02

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Squad

The Stewart's Melville FPRFC team for Sunday's game with Ross High, 2 pm kick off at Inverleith, is:

The only changes to the squad from last week see Euan Clark coming in for the injured Stuart Thom and Andy Cadzow replacing the injured Zums on the bench.

Despite the loss last weekend, the squad more or less picks itself after its display, and the only thing that can be asked for is that we play with a bit more ambition and put into practice on the pitch the things that we do so well on the training ground.

Riggers' Review

Well, we finally registered our first 5 point haul of the season on Sunday afternoon at Inverleith, but, as with most of our games this season, a feeling of what might have been existed. Certainly, if we'd continued to play in the manner that we did in the first 10 minutes, then a potential cricket score was on the cards. Once again, though, once the job was done, the foot came off the gas, and, for the last 25 minutes, we played some of the most ordinary rugby that has been produced by this team in a long while.

It is a source of much frustration to the watching coaches that we don't seem to have the desire to really do damage to teams that we are better than. It has cost us dear in the three defeats that we have had, and, if it continues, then it asks many questions for the remainder of the season that only the players themselves can answer. It is frustrating to watch the team accept the level of performances that they are turning in. They are so much better than that, and, when I watch them at training, I honestly believe it is the most talented squad of players that the club has assembled since the heady days of the mid to late 80s.

So, this week sees us await the visit of Musselburgh, in a game that has a great bearing on the fourth promotion spot. I went down to Stoneyhill on Friday evening to watch their match with Edinburgh Accies. Accies did us something of a favour with their comprehensive defeat of a strangely lacklustre Musselburgh side. I certainly don't think their performance is indicative of how they will play on Saturday. It always seems to be Musselburgh that we play in important matches, and it is probably as big a game as the promotion decider was in 1993. A win is very important, and, as they say, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Not sure what that has to do with winning, but it is National Cliché week!

Hopefully all our faithful supporters will come out and cheer the boys on to a victory that will help us on our way to Premier 2.

Riggers

Stew Mel Stats

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